28th April 2019
The environmental protest group Extinction Rebellion says the plan in Greater Manchester for facing climate catastrophes is not ambitious enough. Jennifer Gibson, 34, from Extinction Rebellion, declares that the plan for setting the city is just a greenwash: “No when they invest £1bn in the airport”. They shut down the plan.
Extinction Rebellion slams the green plan and interrupted a Greater Manchester meeting on Wednesday asking to declare ‘Climate Emergency’, as others councils have done. They think the plan is not ambitious enough.
The Council refused and declared the plan delivered during the Green Summit was enough. Extinction Rebellion also disrupted on that occasion.
Although, early this week it presented a £4 million pounds plan for fighting against climate change.
«We are serious about our green ambitions»
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burham, said: “We are serious about our green ambitions in Greater Manchester. We will become carbon neutral by 2038 and one of the world’s leading green city-regions. However, we also need to prepare for the climate change impacts which are no unavoidable and we must do it soon; we can’t keep doing things the old way.”
The plan, funded by the European Union, will deliver mechanisms and measures that Greater Manchester needs. They are to respond to the risk posed by extreme weather. “Lie in substantial retrofit programmes of urban green infrastructure or nature-based solutions to combat urban over-heating as well as slowing the flow of excess caused by extreme weather events.”
These nature-based solutions will also help to improve air quality, increase the level of biodiversity and help to improve health.
Extreme weather is becoming an increasing part of urban life. In December 2015, Greater Manchester experienced significant flooding, damaging homes, business and infrastructures. Last summer there was an extreme heatwave.
Despite this initiative and the plan delivered during the Green Summit for being carbon neutral, Gibson thinks it is not enough, and Extinction Rebellion slams the green plan. She encourages people to go down to London on 15th in April when there will be a ‘massive protest’.
On Sunday they organised a street party in the Northern Quarter, and strengthen the relationship among the people who will go.